


mentorship, or something like that

by syncxpate



Series: random drabblets and ficlets [2]
Category: SHINee
Genre: M/M, Rockstar AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-16
Updated: 2018-10-16
Packaged: 2019-08-02 20:23:59
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,945
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16312097
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/syncxpate/pseuds/syncxpate
Summary: jaded rockstar kim kibum who has been in the industry forever meets newbie rocker kim jonghyun who just won a talent show.





	mentorship, or something like that

**Author's Note:**

> very belated birthday fic for my beta!
> 
> to my beloved j, happy (very belated) birthday ♡ my experience in shinee and jongkey wouldn’t nearly be as lovely if i hadn’t met you. i’m so glad you randomly, creepily messaged me on aff way back when haha. ♡ loveyou i hope the next year of your life is a wonderful one. (i really hope you like this)

kibum meets jonghyun primarily because minho likes to fuck with him.

“this is jonghyun,” minho says. “he just won the recent music competition. he’s got a contract with the company.”

in the pause that ensues, kibum looks up from his ipad where he’s searching his name on social media. “okay. so?”

“so…we’re assigning you to be his mentor.”

there’s a beat of complete silence before kibum snorts out a bray of laughter. they’ve been working together long enough that minho is more friend than manager; jokes are common and he thinks this is one too. but minho doesn’t join in the glee, only stares unsmiling and kibum lets his laughter fade. “oh jeez, you’re serious.”

“yes, as a matter of fact.”

his eyes flit to the boy standing just two steps behind. he’s kinda short, kibum decides, eyeing him critically. pretty enough, at least nothing that an expert hand at makeup won’t help; the oversized shirt hides most of him but kibum thinks he sees some muscle, enough to look nice in the fitted leather; hair much too shaggy but again nothing a haircut and some styling won’t fix. way too smiley… but that gets beaten out of you eventually. kibum almost feels sorry for this optimistic boy. his gaze meets his manager’s expectant one.

“what the fuck am i supposed to do with him?”

“guide him, show him the ropes, teach him your ways.” minho waves his arm in an attempt to show the breadth of kibum’s experience that he could share.

kibum rolls his eyes up. “if you didn’t realise, that was just a lot of jargon that did not answer the question.”

minho sighs, the kind of long belaboured sigh that kibum knows means “why is this my life?”, before he gently explains. “we thought it would be…good for you both to be linked somehow. it will temper your diva reputation if you take a newbie under your wing, and for him it’ll look like he’s being taken seriously, at least by his seniors.”

“god i hate this pr shtick,” kibum mutters, dragging his hand across his face. “i have one stupid argument with one stupid concert organiser and now i’m a diva. for fuck’s sake.”

“jonghyun has  _very good_  public appeal,” minho adds, carefully casual.

kibum rolls his eyes up again. his gaze darts from minho’s neutral, blank expression to land on the newbie looking up at him with rounded, awe-struck eyes and he groans in despair. “fine, alright. fine.” he ignores minho’s fist pumping.

sticking out his hand at the newbie, he introduces himself. “i’m kibum, stage name key. you should probably call me kibum. key is weird off the stage.” jonghyun stares at his outstretched hand for just a beat too long before sliding his own hand in.

“i’m jonghyun,” he says, his voice is breathy. “and i know who you are, i’ve been a fan for a while.” kibum forces his mouth into a smile at the words.

oh fuck this shit, he thinks.

—–

kibum is used to starry eyed awe and babbling fools, used to people trying to hit him up, used to people who attempt to manipulate him for their own benefits. used to, resigned, sick of. and after that easy admission of being a fan, he almost expects jonghyun to be, at the very least, one of the babbling fools. those who will vomit their entire life story at him, then try to scoop out his.

instead the newbie walks beside him quietly, nodding as kibum points out different offices, dance studios, recording studios. he looks like he’s actually paying attention to everything kibum says, asking specific questions about the rules and the culture. as they walk to the stylists’ office, the last stop in kibum’s self-designed tour, he comments on it. “you’re really quiet.”

jonghyun jerks in surprise. “oh,” he says. when his eyes meet kibum’s, colour creeps up his face. “you’re kinda intimidating,” he whispers. his hands twist together.

kibum smirks, and it doesn’t escape his notice that jonghyun colours even more at that. “if you want to be a rock musician, you need to be a little more aggressive,” he advises. jonghyun shrugs, his gaze slides away from kibum. “i think i’m aggressive enough on stage,” he says quietly. “i don’t think i need to be like that off.”

kibum raises an eyebrow at the calm confidence in that statement but doesn’t quite care to pry further. minho asked him to be mentor, not confidant. he tells jonghyun to get a haircut, gives him the contact details of his favourite salon, and then, minho’s naggy voice in his head, reluctantly exchanges numbers with him and tells him to text if he has any issues. jonghyun smiles gratefully, bobs his head in a bow and leaves.

 _he’s so quiet,_ he texts minho later _. how did he even win?_

 _watch the show,_  is all minho replies.

_i hate when you’re cryptic_

_you’ll like it_

kibum scoffs.

~-~

_just to get you started._

minho sends a link to a video about 15 minutes after kibum gets home from the company. kibum rolls his eyes, it had been one of those days. the press had caught him making a face when he walked in for an event and naturally they decided that it was time to rehash the story of his war with the event organiser. did it matter that the organiser had fucked him over? that they had messed up his tracklist and screwed up the audio? nope. all that mattered is that it showed that key was a diva. god damn he hated his life sometimes.

when he clicks on the link it’s mostly out of curiosity. their company didn’t sign people on easily; they had to have a certain level of potential star power. he wants to know what kind of star power this unobtrusive boy carries. also, well he’s bored.

as the first few minutes of the video starts, kibum forgets entirely about the meal in front of him. the man on the screen isn’t the same as the boy he met. that boy had been all oversized shirts and polite bows, flushed shy glances and soft spoken words. this man is hot. silk shirts falling along the lines of a very toned body, hair perfectly tousled, tight leather pants, expertly lined eyes. and then there’s his voice, husky and mellow and so enticing. you could get drunk on this voice, kibum decides. maybe you might even want to.

 _are you sure you guys didn’t hire his twin by mistake?_  he texts minho.

 _you could just say you liked it_. the reply is quick, almost instant, and before kibum can formulate another text, his phone beeps again.

_you could also tell him you liked it_

kibum snorts.  _when i see him. maybe._

he knows minho wants him to be friends with jonghyun, but kibum prefers not to be too optimistic. in a world of spotlight and glitter, there’s always someone trying to shove a knife into your back.

~-~

_from: [unknown]_

 

> hi this is jonghyun. the new guy? you met me the other day? just wanted to say thank you for bringing me around.

kibum takes a screenshot of the text and sends it to minho.  _how the fuck is this the same person?!?!?!_

_just reply him you dickhead._

_if i put that on twitter my fans will have a field day._

minho doesn’t dignify him with a reply. after a beat, kibum chuckles to himself and pulls up jonghyun’s message again.

_to: jonghyun_

 

> no big deal! i hope you’re adjusting well.

how sweet, kibum thinks. how totally unlike me.

_from: jonghyun_

 

> uh. yeah, we’re recording for my album now…i was wondering…uh minho says you do composing too? so i wanted some opinions?

kibum snorts. that was a new one.

_to: jonghyun_

 

> you want opinions from me? you studied composition at school, i’d think you wouldn’t need input from me.

_from: jonghyun_

 

> you…know that?

the message has kibum cursing under his breath. he had simply wanted to show jonghyun he didn’t like it when people invented silly excuses just to meet; not reveal the fact that he had watched his performances, had looked him up. his phone beeps again before he can form an answer.

_from: jonghyun_

 

> but that doesn’t matter. i might have the skills but i don’t know the audience all that well. i thought you might have some experience to share.

_from: jonghyun_

 

> but if you don’t want to that’s okay.

kibum groans. he feels like a tool. this boy seems so earnest and honest. he doesn’t deserve to be under suspicion of the many malicious intentions kibum insists on seeing.

_to: jonghyun_

 

> no it’s fine. where and when do you want to meet?

_from: jonghyun_

 

> really?

_from: jonghyun_

 

> tomorrow? at 11? at the studio?

_to: jonghyun_

 

> okay.

~-~

when kibum enters the studio the next day, jonghyun is already there. his smile is bright, but the nervousness is almost too obvious. “hi,” he whispers.

“hi,” kibum says back, searching for words. he should be better at this really but jonghyun’s eyes are big and hopeful and he feels a little off centre.

“i thought you wouldn’t come,” jonghyun says, stilted.

“i did say i would. i like to keep promises.”

“oh.”

it’s awkward and strange and they stare at each other for too long before jonghyun shakes himself out. he looks like a little puppy and kibum finds himself relaxing at the thought, lets himself smile.

“okay so i mixed these the other day i just wanted an opinion.” a few clicks on the computer and a song filters through the speakers. kibum watches jonghyun as the song plays, registering the nervous twitch of his eyes, and how they never quite land directly on kibum’s face, the way his fingers drum the table top, the flinch when the rawness of the song is too clear in the hoarseness of his voice.

“you’re so honest,” kibum says, when the last note fades away.

“what?” kibum laughs softly at the consternation on jonghyun’s face.

“your face, the emotions are too honest. it’s better if you could lie a bit more. or at least hide them,” he explains, gentle despite himself.

there’s something stubborn that swims into jonghyun’s eyes. “i don’t want to,” he explains, looking away from kibum’s steady gaze. the plaintive tone makes kibum think that despite his words, he knows he should.

kibum’s smile is pitying. he’ll learn, they all do. eventually.

“so what do you think? of the song?” jonghyun asks, after a pause.

“it’s good. you _are_ good, you know. that’s why you won.” kibum’s reply is honest and direct.

jonghyun’s only response is a laugh that is small and shy, and his cheeks tinge pink under kibum’s stare.

“oh you’re really _really_ different off stage and on,” kibum mutters. but he quickly shifts the conversation to guitar interludes and bass chords before jonghyun can respond. there’s something a little too much like admiration in jonghyun’s eyes. it scares him.

~-~

“do you want to get lunch?”

jonghyun’s question is almost inaudible. he doesn’t look up; gaze carefully trained to the score and the scribbles that have resulted from the discussion with kibum.

“what?”

the newbie looks up, nervousness obvious in his eyes. “lunch. it’s almost one. i’m kinda hungry. we could? go together?”

kibum sends a considering glance over jonghyun; at the jittery tap of his fingers on the desk, the soft uncertainty flickering in the tilt of his lips. it’s almost contrary to what they had been the past couple of hours.

they had sat there and talked about chords and progression, themes and harmony, which key would sound better, and later on the exact type of emotion that different sorts of music draw out, the kind of colour they wanted their music to be. and maybe just a little bit about the kind of artists they wanted to become. it had been easy, friendly.

kibum had expected arrogance or entitlement, or maybe a suck-up with lavish praises trying to get on his good side. instead jonghyun is humble and shy, easily flustered, soft-spoken, and incredibly genuine. he had listened to kibum, gave intelligent answers of his own, made tentative jokes then beamed when kibum laughed at them. he had caught himself thinking that he could like this newbie. just a little.

maybe that’s why he asks. “are you…scared of me?”

jonghyun stills and his eyes widen, staring mutely at kibum for several long minutes. then to kibum’s relief, he smiles, small and self-deprecating. “honestly? a little bit. i’ve followed your career for years, and somehow now i’m alone in a room with you discussing music. it’s like i wandered into a fantasy.”

kibum scoffs on instinct. “a fantasy? you have every right to be here. you’re miles better than me, you know.” the corner of his mouth lifts in a grin as jonghyun’s eyes almost bug out in surprise. perhaps it would be strange that an established star is praising a greenhorn but kibum has never quite been conventional.

raising a hand to wave away the indignant sputter that half escapes jonghyun’s mouth, kibum continues, “your voice for instance, the technique and control. the way you express emotions. they’re skills i still haven’t quite mastered.” jonghyun stares more and kibum shrugs. “i know how to mask it, you know? use staging, and gimmicks, but if someone cared to analyse, they’d notice.”

“that’s not true!”

“you said you’re my fan, therefore you’re biased.”

“i’m not! i-” jonghyun’s voice levels and his stare on kibum turns strangely tender. “you’re magnetic, don’t you know?” he whispers. “yeah your voice isn’t perfect, but it’s distinctive and strong, and it works. and on stage. oh. you pull people in, and they can’t look anywhere else. it’s always like you’re the only one who matters.”

kibum doesn’t realise he’s holding his breath until he lets it out in a shaky gasp. “thank you,” he says finally, quietly, sincerely, because there’s nothing else he can think of to say.

“you’re welcome,” jonghyun replies, blush heavy on his cheeks, eyes shifting to gaze somewhere over kibum’s shoulder. they fall into silence.

“so, lunch then?” jonghyun looks up at kibum’s question, and tilts his head, as if assessing the sincerity. the only indicator of his initial anxiety are his fists, clenched too tight.

“really?”

“sure.”

jonghyun’s smile is breathtaking.

“so, you watched my videos?” jonghyun asks as they walk to a restaurant near the company, half teasing, half shyly curious.

kibum will never admit to anyone that he colours all the way to his ears. “don’t tell minho,” he replies, eyes darting away from jonghyun’s, “but i watched every episode.”

jonghyun blushes too and he raises his hands to cover his face. kibum decides he likes making jonghyun shy.

~-~

by the time kibum gets home that day, it’s almost eight. he falls backwards onto his bed and stares up at the ceiling.

they had talked over lunch, silly things unrelated to work, about their puppies – kibum’s mischievous two and jonghyun’s clingy one, about kibum’s addiction to fountain pens, and jonghyun’s scented candle collection, about the first television show kibum acted in as a child actor, about the celebratory party jonghyun’s mother and sister threw for him after he won the competition, about coffee and tea, favourite flowers and foods, about music and idols, philosophy and politics. kibum had wanted to stay there forever, but jonghyun had a meeting for his album conceptualisation and kibum needed to go for a photoshoot.

_“my mother loved you on tv,” jonghyun told him, grinning. “it’s her fault i’m a fan.”_

_kibum made a face and jonghyun laughed. his child actor history had consisted of a lot of body gags and fat jokes, his chubbiness the butt of a lot of them. it was something he sometimes really wanted to cut out of his history, and his rock musician shift at age 18 was a result of that. his fans had been shocked, but kibum had felt…free._

_“you were really cute back then,” jonghyun said, almost like he could read kibum’s mind._

_“only back then?” the question was instinctive and kibum wanted to bite his tongue and retract it, but jonghyun had laughed again, lower this time, and glanced at him coyly from behind lowered lashes._

_“yeah, back then you were really cute,_ now _you’re_ hot  _too,” he said, straightforward, matter of fact._

_kibum’s breath stuttered at the back of his suddenly dry throat. he was glad when jonghyun didn’t continue in the same vein, just pointed out a particularly hyper puppy being walked nearby. heat lay curled and tight at the base of his stomach and he didn’t quite know what to do with it._

kibum groans at the memory. he’s attracted to the jonghyun on stage, he knows that, has known since halfway through binge-watching the videos; there was just something about the challenging stares and sultry voice; but the jonghyun off stage…kibum thinks he might like him better.

well. shit.

~-~

the next time jonghyun’s message blinks on his phone ( _do you? want to listen to another song?_ ), kibum taps out an affirmative ( _sure!_ ) without too much thinking.

it becomes a habit, meeting with jonghyun every few weeks; closed in the small studio, talking music and themselves. it feels almost like kibum is creating the album with jonghyun, that even though he’s technically not involved in the conceptualization and planning for jonghyun’s debut at all, every song has kibum’s fingerprints over it, has a little of his soul. if something tightens in his chest at the thought (delight? awe? incredulity?), he doesn’t put a name to it, just watches jonghyun watch him, and wonders why this boy brimming over with so much talent values kibum’s opinion at all, listens and debates and laughs with him.

they often go for a meal after, mostly lunch, sometimes dinner. talking until prior engagements have to pull them apart. it’s almost as if neither can bear the idea of ending their time together too soon.

or maybe that’s just what kibum wants to think. he’s never really kept friends well; he has a small core group of them, but everyone else he’s met in the music industry seemed more interesting in determining how much he could help them go up in status than in finding out how his mind works, or offering to understand his heart. maybe that’s why it’s a little bit of a shock to meet someone who so openly just wants to get to know him, who offers himself without bargaining, expects little back. jonghyun makes him want to hope, just a little. hope he’s not wrong about his intentions. 

when jonghyun asks him to meet outside of the company and song discussion ( _there’s a play tomorrow i like, do you want to come with me?_ ), he’s obviously hesitant, nervous hope flickering in his eyes. for a moment kibum feels like his ribs are tightening around his lungs. when he agrees ( _yes of course!_ ), his voice is a little breathless.

it seems like a natural progression; being together for no reason besides each other, not to run through songs, not to learn dances, not to get some tips on makeup, just two boys eating together, watching a sports game together, walking their dogs together. just two people who want to spend time together. it’s so easy that a part of kibum is terrified.

sometimes as they walk, jonghyun will look over, gently brush kibum’s hair out of his eyes and smile when their gazes meet. sometimes their hands or shoulders will touch, tendrils of heat in their wake, and one time, kibum sucks in a nervous breath and carefully carefully curls his pinkie finger around jonghyun’s. jonghyun looks down in surprise but doesn’t pull his hand away. 

something fragile and delicate is crystallising between them, a bridge maybe, a bond, something that kibum wants to cup his hands around and protect, something he feels like he cannot touch. not yet. so he’s holding his breath and waiting for things to unfurl and maybe, just maybe-

perhaps that’s why he doesn’t tell minho about the developing friendship, doesn’t breathe a word about this to anyone, even if other colleagues talk about the new boy and what he can do. kibum doesn’t know if he should put it into words, doesn’t want to shatter the delicate structure, destroy what hasn’t had time to become.

when the press finally picks up on their friendship, blurred photos of them laughing and talking, sitting in a cafe, walking along the streets fill the magazines for a week.

“diva key taking newbie under his wing?”

“kim jonghyun finds a mentor!”

“unlikely friendship”

and one that cuts just a little too close “bromance? or budding romance?”

he sends a photo of the tabloids on sale to jonghyun with five laughing emojis, and receives five back. minho sends the magazines a statement; a carefully worded “they’re close colleagues” message. neither of them ever mention it again after that.

just before the statement is sent out, kibum receives a screencap of a twitter post on his phone (a blurred photo of jonghyun and him smiling at each other over coffee, with a title in caps “rockers kim and kim on coffee date”) and  _i guess you told him you like his music_. kibum smiles despite himself. it’s easy to honestly reply minho. _yes i did._

 _i’m glad. he would be good for you._  kibum’s fingers clench around the phone. he thinks maybe minho sees things in ways that most people cannot.

~-~

six months after jonghyun first joins their company, kibum gets a summons from minho to observe the album photoshoot.

“maybe it’ll give you the chance to have a refresher on how photoshoots work.”

“fuck you, you  _know_  how many i’ve done.”

minho’s laugh is loud and unrepentant. “in any rate, i think he’ll want you there.”

kibum can’t help himself when he lets out a tiny sigh. “then why didn’t he ask me himself?”

he can almost hear the shrug in minho’s voice. “i don’t know. maybe he was embarrassed?” there’s a pause, and when minho speaks again, his tone has turned mischievous. “oh yes.  _definitely_ embarrassed. you have to come.”

when kibum asks for clarification, minho refuses to divulge anything more, just rattles off the time and location and pressing onto kibum that he “ _has to_  come.”

kibum has no clue what his manager is on, but nevertheless once he’s free, heads straight for the location carefully typed up on his phone. it’s always a treat to see a pretty person dolled up for a shoot, he tells himself. never mind that he’s never gone for anyone else’s, never mind that he’s only interested because it’s jonghyun.

when he arrives the shoot is already in full swing, and he slips in quietly to the back of the crew, for once unobserved.

jonghyun spots him before he has a chance to properly take in the surroundings. “bum! you came?”

“yeah, minho told me, i was curious and-” his eyes focus properly on jonghyun and his voice trails off into an involuntary gasp. “ _well._  wow.” jonghyun is topless, jeans riding low on his hips. and kibum knows he trains regularly, knows that the gym is one of his favourite haunts, has gleaned a vague idea of the strength of his body from their hugs. but he’s never seen him like this, never seen him out of his baggy tops, never realised how hard he worked on his body, has never had a chance to see the dip and curve of muscles carefully maintained. carved from marble is cliched perhaps but as the light danced over jonghyun’s frame, kibum thinks maybe it’s the only way to describe it. he’s…beautiful, kibum decides, mouth going dry. he wants to put fingers over the ridges of jonghyun’s muscles, wants to trace them with his tongue and teeth. the desire is a whiplash that almost makes his legs buckle.

but jonghyun is giggling and hunching into himself, trying to hide, embarrassment crossing his features and kibum has to focus. “yeah, it’s a bit overkill right? but they said it would help sell.”

“it would,” kibum manages to say, nodding emphatically. “you look good.” jonghyun giggles again, hand covering his mouth before refocusing onto the photographer. released from jonghyun’s gaze, kibum forces his legs to move to the corner where he swears minho is laughing at him.

“fuck,” he whispers, with great emphasis, as he sinks down into a chair. “what the  _fuck_.”

minho chuckles again. “told you, you had to come.”

“i might hate you. what the fuck. he wore those clingy shirts when he was competing but who knew that he-  _fuck_.”

minho laughs again, and kibum groans, low in his throat. he’s struggling to swallow down the desire, looking at the photographer and lights instead of jonghyun posing. he’s never been this thrown off before; used to other people flinging themselves at him, not quite used to being this unbalanced by someone else.

“no, look at the camera like you want to seduce it. how do you seduce girls usually?”

jonghyun breaks into a laugh. “i don’t,” he says, cheekily, grin wide. kibum will never admit that his heart jumps at the answer.

the photographer huffs and rolls his eyes. “how do you seduce boys then? think about someone you want.”

the world seems to slow down, because jonghyun looks beyond the photographer and cameras and straight at kibum. there is invitation that slowly seeps his eyes, want and promise, and kibum almost curls into himself. he wants to throw himself at jonghyun, wants to slide hands up the muscles on his back, wants to taste every bit of exposed skin, wants to suck a bruise into his shoulder, mark him, brand him. he lets out a breathless mewl when jonghyun turns his attention back to the now jubilant photographer. minho slings an arm around his shoulders. “hang in there,” he says.

“i fucking hate you,” kibum mutters, but his eyes compulsively track jonghyun’s movements anyway.

“kind of a turn of tables huh?” minho remarks. kibum doesn’t usually want people, people want him.

kibum doesn’t reply.

~-~

when the photoshoot is done, kibum shadows jonghyun back to the little room they’re using as a dressing room.

when jonghyun catches sight of kibum, his face lights up. “hey,” he says. “so what did you think?”

“sexy,” kibum says lightly.

“oh god, yeah. it’s embarrassing. that’s why i didn’t ask you to come. then minho told me you’re coming so i-” he stops talking as kibum draws closer, eyes involuntarily coming to rest on kibum’s mouth.

“please tell me i’m not misunderstanding,” kibum whispers. his mouth is a breath away from jonghyun’s. “i would like to kiss you. can i kiss you?”

jonghyun’s eyes widen, and as kibum’s tongue darts out to wet his lips, he lets out a soft whine. “yes.  _please_.”

despite the lust that is coiled in kibum’s stomach, when their mouths touch, it’s gentle and chaste, a clinging brush of lips. kibum slides his hands up jonghyun’s chest to hook around his neck, taking advantage to touch the exposed skin. he can feel jonghyun gasp against his mouth, his fingers moving to lightly graze kibum’s hips.

when they pull apart, jonghyun grins, lazy and almost cocky. “pretty sure you wanted to do something slightly more,” he remarks. his thumb runs slowly over kibum’s hipbone under his shirt.

kibum curses vehemently, tugging jonghyun in, rough fingers digging into his skin, swallowing his laugh. this time the kiss is open mouthed and messy. jonghyun’s laughter fades as kibum slides his tongue into his mouth, and he hisses as kibum’s teeth graze over his lower lip. the breathy gasps make kibum press closer, moving to kiss along jonghyun’s jaw, licking down his neck, his hands tracing along jonghyun’s stomach. jonghyun growls, backing him against the wall, hitching kibum’s leg up to align their hips, pull them even closer.

“fuck,” kibum whispers, breathless, when jonghyun bucks into him. he rocks his hips in tandem, heat collecting in his gut, arousal spiking. they rut into each other, no finesse, just desperation. “this is not the right place for this. probably,” kibum mutters between moans, trying to grasp for some lucidity. he regrets the words the moment they come out, because jonghyun’s hands tighten on kibum and then he goes still. kibum whines at the loss of contact, a soft little broken sound that makes jonghyun shiver.

“you’re right,” jonghyun mutters, swallowing hard. but when he attempts to step further away, kibum lets out a whimper, longing and pathetic, arms tightening around jonghyun’s waist to bring him back in. he releases another unhappy whine when he realises what he’s done, dropping his head on jonghyun’s shoulder. “you turn me into a fool,” he mutters.

“likewise,” jonghyun says, still breathing heavily. he curves fingers around kibum’s jaw, bringing his head back up to meet jonghyun’s eyes. “i’m in love with you, you know.”

kibum can’t find any words behind the raw emotion in his throat, so he just leans forward and kisses him again.

(when minho barges into the room about ten minutes later, kibum’s shirt is off too, his hands are down jonghyun’s pants and jonghyun is sucking a messy mark on his collarbone. minho laughs, takes a picture, throws their shirts at them and calls them a car to kibum’s apartment.)

(they get caught kissing along the road two months after jonghyun’s debut and the tabloids have a field day. kibum buys one and frames the cover.)

**Author's Note:**

> p.s. this isn't set in korea btw
> 
> that's why the talk about picking up guys and the tabloids are so casual


End file.
